Job search is HARD - I have been there and have coached hundreds through their job search process successfully. I want to share with you some of the most common reasons people can't get an interview and give you some tips on how to turn it all around and start to get some in-person contact with that future employer of yours!

The most logical and obvious reason is our first stop - your resume.....

If you have been sending out dozens of resumes and not getting any bites then you have a problem, friend. What you're working with is holding you back from reaching your dreams! Ok, that might be dramatic...But really, if you love your resume and it's not getting you invited to meet with people, then you best switch up your marketing tools!

Are you targeting your resume to each job? It's not as painful as it sounds.

Are you removing crap that they won't care about? (unrelated hobbies, jobs from more than 10 yrs ago that have nothing to do with your current focus, skills that have nothing to do with this new job)

Are you using comic sans serif as your font...please...just don't even get me started. Arial, Calibri, Helvetica....and a big NO to Times New Roman.

Are you getting through their tracking system and using keywords found in the job posting? Bust out a green highlighter and go to town on that posting! It really does help!

Do you need a 2nd set of eyes on your resume - get at me and we'll polish up your resume and increase your chances of interviewing for real!

curate your online life

We've talked about this...your digital footprint / online presence...it all comes back to having a positive 'brand' and what you do online can have everything to do with how you are perceived.

Those awesome party photos from a few months/years back...

Those witty tweets to Kanye to put him in his place...

That dormant LinkedIn account that makes you look like a junior role job seeker when you are really trying to get something more senior...

Social media, for better or worse, is all about how you want people to see you! So make sure you are being your best, most happiest, thought provoking and professional self when posting online.

And if you have some awesome tweets for Kanye please post them here too for us all to enjoy;)

mmm...pie chart

Reason #3 that you aren't getting in for an interview....you're doing it wrong - it's time to get off the grid and get in front of people.

I'm not saying we should stop online job searching...nope..not even a little bit. We need to spend our job search time efficiently. The hidden job market (talking to people in real life is your ticket here, folks) is still the most effective way to find work and beat out the competition.

If you have face to face meetings (exploratory, informational, networking) you will create a rapport with the other person and that is GOLD compared to someone who just emailed their resume and has no actual contact with the employer. It's really just that simple.

The key to these meetings is you have to get another name at the end...that part is essential - keep your network growing, get more referrals...and do this more than online searching. If I could make you a pie chart on how much time you should devote to networking I totally would...let's just say networking would be a huge slice.

The last reason you're probably not getting an interview - it's a reason that is not within your control....nothing you did wrong and nothing you can do to change it.

They already had someone in line for the job but they had to post it to be official.

Oh, so jaded! Not really...but keep this in mind especially if you have a kick ass resume, been networking like crazy (but professional crazy) and your online brand is sparkling.

Try not to put all your eggs in one basket and keep your job search free from any emotion other than eagerness, motivation and confidence. Treat your job search like a job and know that their recruitment process is not an emotional experience for them. In other words...it's not personal.

I hope this series shed some light on what could possibly be preventing you from getting some face time with an employer. I'm here for any of you to help you with your job search journey. Check out how we can work together to get your job search rolling.

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About Carron

Carron has been working with adults, youth, women and foreign trained professionals for over 10 years. Her focus has been on job search strategies, career exploration, career management and transition.